Crossing into Mexico

Crossing the border

From the beginning of our planning, we had talked about, and to be honest worried about, the idea of crossing the border and driving in Mexico. No matter who we talked to, people were worried for us given all the negative press about the violence in Mexico due to the drug cartels and the banditos. We were lucky to know a few people who regularly travel to Mexico by RV, and Heidi did a marvellous job of researching the various RV forums about the subject, so we entered our Mexican adventure with our eyes wide open and with as many facts as we could.

The paperwork at the Mexican border is very straightforward but you need to do your homework and be prepared. Over and above your passport and your proof of vaccination, there are three main pieces of paper that are required to pass into Mexico by RV. 1st you must show proof of Mexican auto insurance, 2nd you must apply and receive a Mexican tourist immigration visa and 3rd you must apply for and receive a temporary import permit for your RV entering Mexico. The last two are applied for and received as you cross the border and the Mexican auto insurance must be arranged in advance. We had been told that it was easy to find other RVs to caravan with through the initial part of Mexico, which is known to be the most dangerous. Our friends told us, and the information we had received on the RV forums said that you will meet other snowbirds in RVs when you stop to take care of the Mexican paperwork at the border crossing.

We rose early on the day of our crossing and arrived at the Columbia bridge border crossing, just west of Laredo, before it opened around 8:00 o’clock in the morning. We joined a long line of cars but saw no other RVs in line which worried us somewhat as we were hopeful to caravan through the border town and on to the toll roads beyond Laredo. When we entered the immigration building we were well prepared but it still was a somewhat chaotic scene with mostly Mexicans queueing up in the various areas and no one seeming to speak English. Once we got our bearings we got into the immigration visa line and were speaking with an official when we were told we first needed to go to another line and get our temporary import permit for the RV. Once we received that, we were told to return where we would receive our immigration visa. While navigating the various lines we began speaking with other snowbirds: two women who were experienced Mexican travellers and headed in our intended direction and who offered to have us follow them. Heidi and I both felt much better knowing that we had someone who had done this before leading the way through Laredo and onto the toll road leading South.

We finally received and paid for a temporary import permit and return to the immigration visa line and completed the total process in about an hour and a half. We met our two escorts beyond the next checkpoint which was an inspection by the border guards of our RV. I believe we were queued up for inspection more out of curiosity as the guard was more interested in the features of Klara than what was in the cupboards and fridge.

We were finally back on the road and following these two women through the side roads of Nuevo Laredo in the direction of the toll highway heading South. The safest and fastest way to travel in Mexico is to follow the toll roads, which of course cost you, but are in far better shape and are patrolled by both the police and an army of helpful volunteers/mechanics called the Angel Verdes, or the green angels. The green angels are there in the event of a breakdown to do initial mechanical inspection to determine the problem and then they will coordinate the appropriate assistance almost like roadside assistance through your auto club, but better. Your chance of being stopped by banditos on the toll highways is very low because it is patrolled by the National Guard and because they are toll highways they are maintained much better than the secondary free roads in Mexico. The one thing that our friends and all the RV forums stressed was that it’s really important not to speed on the secondary roads as the local police are much more likely to pull you over and expect a bribe. For this reason I was really watching my speed, but our two seemed to not worry and continually sped ahead of us. I resisted the urge to try and catch up and we eventually resigned ourselves to making the drive to the toll highway on our own. I can honestly tell you that both of us breathed a huge sigh of relief when we saw the sign for the toll highway and entered it without incident. We chose the town of Saltillo, just south of Monterey, as our destination for the day so as to not end up driving in the dark, the number one rule of driving in Mexico.

We were pleasantly surprised to see how well maintained the toll highways were, as we worried about the suspension on Klara, as she is 20 years

old and not the easiest vehicle to find parts for. The trip was about four hours and we arrived into Saltillo mid afternoon. Heidi had found us a hotel in the heart of Saltillo that offered camping spots at the back of the hotel that included electricity, water, toilets and showers. As luck would have it just before arriving at the border we had 2 stones hit our windshield resulting in a couple of small chips/cracks and I was worried that these could become worse over the course of our travel. Heidi googled windshield repair Saltillo and we found a shop about a kilometre away from our campsite that offered to fix our windshield right away. We drove up and did a shop at the local grocery store and when done we dropped by the windshield repair place. The young man was polite, extremely efficient and had both repairs done within 30 minutes and the job cost us all of 300 pesos which is about $40 Canadian. We were very happy that the chips happened just before crossing the border as the same repair in the US would have cost us hundreds of dollars.

The colonial towns atop the Sierra Madres

After a comfortable night’s sleep and a warm shower we set out on our way in the direction of our next stop, the colonial town of Zacatecas. Perched between the Sierra Madres and the central highlands of Mexico, Zacatecas is at 8,200 ft elevation. Heidi’s skills as a co-pilot are excellent as she never relies strictly on Google Maps. She always did a secondary review of both the other resources we relied on heavily, 1st the Mexican camping book that had been lent to us by our dear friends George and Donna and 2nd our go to app called iOverlander. We determined that there were two options for camping in Zacatecas. The 1st was very close to downtown and would have been our preferred spot and 2nd was a sister hotel to the first option that was further away and would require a cab ride into the centre of town. We called ahead to the first hotel and were told that there were no availability, but we are not one to take no for an answer right away as we found that it’s harder to say no to a face then a voice on the phone, so we decided just to show up. We relied on Google Maps to find us a route, but we were not prepared for the complexity of the Zacatecas traffic circles, Oh my! In all my travels in Europe I had become very accustomed to navigating traffic circles but never in my experience had I ever seen one that had 9, that’s right 9 entry/exits. Combine this with the fact we arrived in rush hour and we were driving a 22 foot long RV and I can tell you it tested my nerves to their limit. Luckily I have learned that the worst thing that can happen in a traffic circle is you miss your exit and have to go around again, but I had visions of going in circles for hours in this 9 headed hydra. Thank goodness the hotel we were headed to had painted a large sign pointing in their direction to the right exit so we got out with our lives.

Zacatecas dates back to the 15th century, so the closer to the centre of town you get, the more rugged the road becomes. As we arrived at the hotel we needed to navigate a very sharp right turn to a steep downhill, and I had never been so grateful to have a small RV as no larger RV could have navigated that turn. We went down the cobblestone driveway to the front door and almost couldn’t find a place to stop as it was so busy. Heidi jumped out and ran inside to see if she could use her charm to get us a parking spot for a few nights but she found that the hotel was hosting a conference and was indeed sold out for the next few days. We retraced our steps back out and thru the 9 headed hydra and ended up at the sister hotel on the outskirts of downtown.

This was a very nice Mexican hotel with full services for the RV including sewer, electrical, water, washrooms and showers, but was not in the ideal location. The front of the hotel faced directly onto a busy highway and the back of the hotel backed on to a rail line, so we were not expecting a quiet stay. After getting Klara set up we took a cab into the Old Town which was absolutely beautiful. The eight to 10 square blocks that made up Old Town have not changed significantly since the 15th century and was dominated by the square and the cathedral that dated back to the 1600s. The timing of our visit couldn’t have been better as the town’s people were getting ready for one of the most important religious celebrations of the year, the festival of Mary of Guadalupe. This festival is in honour of a miracle that happened in 1531, where a local indigenous man, Juan Diego, was visited by the Virgin Mary and as he described, she was wearing indigenous Mexican clothes. Until then the Mexicans had not embraced Catholicism, the religion of the invading Colonial Spanish, but this miracle turned the tide and today Mexico is one of the most Catholic countries in the world. The festival is celebrated with pomp and circumstance and focused in the main cathedral in Zacatecas. Combined with Christmas decorations which were beginning to appear, the whole of the downtown had a very festive feel and the decorations and lights were out in force. Many of the colonial cities in Mexico grew up around the mining that the Spanish were doing as they found the riches of copper, silver and gold in the Sierra madres. The remains of one of these mines serves as a tourist attraction with a gondola going from the Old Town to the top of the small mountain adjacent to the city. We decided to forgo the gondola and wind our way on foot up from the Old Town through the neighbourhoods and onto the dirt track that winds its way around the mountain and up to the mining exhibit. Along the way we saw evidence of mineshafts, but moreso we were rewarded with magnificent views of Old Town Zacatecas. We have always found the best way to learn about a town is to get out on foot and speak with the locals. On our ascent of the mountain we ran into a Mexican family and inquired as to the best route to see the mines. Luckily we had the chance to learn from them that there was no access to the exhibit above and that the other mineshaft that people would often visit was not open as it had been closed due to flooding. The friendly family consisted of grandfather, father and a number of young men under 12 all wearing baseball caps one of which was the Toronto Blue Jays. We explained that we were from Canada and we were visiting Mexico for the winter. They were very interested to hear about the RV and before leaving we exchanged pictures, which they were excited to take of their Canadian visitors.

We made our way back into old town and took in the Museo De Guadalupe that was housed in an 18th century convent, so the exhibits and the structure were equally fascinating.

After touring the museo we stopped at one of the many little squares the dot the old town and enjoyed lunch outdoors taking in the locals enjoying the square. Heidi and I love authentic Mexican food and will try just about anything. This lunch was all about soup. I had pozole, (typical Sunday dinner consisting of shredded pork, hominy corn, shredded lettuce and tortilla chips all in a spicy tomato broth). Heidi had Aztec soup (tortilla soup with chicken, cheese and Mexican spices). These simple dishes warm the soul with their aromatic scents and spicy, tangy flavours.

We continued on exploring the old town, climbing small back alleys and the old winding cobblestone streets with no particular destination, just absorbing the day to day happenings of this wonderful town. After we stopped in the tourist office for directions we made our way to the largest green space in Zacatecas, the Central Park, for a siesta. We quite like the notion of getting up early to beat the heat and then taking a break around 2:00, in the heat of the day, for a rest. This was a quiet little park where we sat on the lawn for a couple of hours reading our books in the shade. The siesta from 2:00 to 4:00 is a daily ritual in most of Mexico so it’s important to avoid the times when shopping or trying to do business.

We toured the cathedral, which was extremely busy due to the festival, with multiple weddings being held on the day we were there. Heidi had come across an article that talked about how in the cathedral at Zacatecas, that statue of the Virgin Mary was depicted with the wedding ring on her finger. This was apparently added to the statue in the 1900s based on the puritan standards in place at the time, as the notion of a unwed mother was offensive. Heidi and I laughed as it kind of flies in the face of the miracle birth.

The most magical time of all during our stay was the evening when all the decorations came to life with lights and festivities everywhere. The Mexicans go all out when it comes to celebrations, especially their religious ones, and the festival of Mary of Guadalupe was no different. Every one of the main streets and side streets was decorated to the hilt with ornaments and lights everywhere you turned. To add to the wonder the Christmas season had started and the square had a Mexican Santa Claus and a large Christmas tree all decorated for the season. The square is situated beside the cathedral and in front of City Hall in a building that dated back to the 16th century. The Christmas market made up the better part of the rest of the square and everyone from far and wide came down to take in the festivities. We both really enjoyed our time in Zacatecas and would highly recommend it to anyone who drives into Mexico, as it is one of the best examples of a colonial towns in central Mexico.

Our next stop on the journey was another colonial town called Guanajuato, at 6,600 ft elevation.. Known as the birthplace of independence, this small town dates back to the 15th century and at one time produced 1/3 of all the silver mined in the world. Heidi had done her research and had discovered that there was an RV park within walking distance of the downtown. The only catch is it’s on a very difficult to find road and the instructions we were following dated back to 2009. It was in Guanajuato that the battle of the paper map versus Google Maps took place. Both of us were convinced that their map was the proper way and finally I agreed to follow Heidi’s instructions only to end up in the last place an RV wants to be, in the tunnels UNDER Guanajuato. The tunnels were actually remnants of the original mining network under the city, that evolved overtime to also serve as run off tunnels for the torrential rains that can hit Mexico and had reeked havoc in the town centre of Guanajuato in the past. Luckily my worst nightmare didn’t happen, which was for us to continue down the tunnels, only to find they narrowed so Klara wouldn’t fit and we would need to back up through the tunnels to exit. When we finally emerged from the tunnel, Google Maps found it’s coordinates and luckily we were close to where we needed to be.

We climbed the hill and took a sharp right onto a very narrow road and the Google Maps directions took us to a laneway that required a difficult hairpin turn. We were excited to be almost at our campsite only to realize that the road was completely blocked off for another impromptu celebration of the holiday of Mary of Guadalupe. We exited Klara and began to walk through and witness the local celebrations with people from the local area bringing chairs out into the streets to watch the various activities. The first and most interesting competition was young men shirtless attempting to shimmy up a telephone pole that had been smeared with what appeared to be grease making it nearly impossible to scale.

We were still anxious to find our campsite, so using Google Maps we followed the street down to where we were to make our left turn, only to realize that this street was so steep and so bumpy from the cobblestones that Klara would have had a very difficult time making it up. In reviewing the notes from the Mexican camping book it indicated that you needed to go to the top of the hill and walk down and have the owner block the traffic as this was a one way road. We turned around and went back to Klara, retraced our steps and carried on the narrow road around the corner to the top of the hill. We walked down the hill and found our address, which didn’t look anything like a campsite from the street. We located the owner, and he confirmed availability, and agreed to come out on the street and block traffic so we could come the wrong way down the one way street to get into the campsite. After navigating the final steps to our campsite, we couldn’t have been happier as the terraces that made up the backyard of these homes had a beautiful view down the valley and into downtown Guanajuato.

Even with the constant barking of dogs up and down the valley we could not have found a better location as it was only 20 minutes downhill to town. After getting set up we wandered into town, marvelling at the tunnel that brought us from the remote neighbourhood where we were camping directly into the heart of the Old Town. Given the season the Old Town was decorated to the hilt with lights, Christmas decorations and all the splendour of the season. Guanajuato is a popular destination for both foreigners and Mexicans and the streets and squares were packed with the celebration of Mary of Guadalupe just finishing and Christmas just around the corner. Heidi and I marvelled at how intact these colonial cities were with all streets leading to a series of beautiful squares where people gather each evening. Inevitably the cornerstone of these squares will be a large ornate church and we toured these churches with awe. The one thing that both Heidi and I most looked forward to on our return to Mexico was the food, especially the authentic Mexican food served from the food stands on the streets. The food is made fresh, is exceedingly cheap and most of all, delicious. One taco will cost on average 15 to 20 pesos which is about $1.00 Canadian so Heidi and I could feast on tacos for less than $10.00 for the both of us including a drink. As we wandered through the square we found the longest line up was at the corn stand and so we decided to give it a try. Fresh corn shucked from the cobb into a plastic cup and layered with crème, lime, chili and cheese along with various other spices creates a delicious mixture. Two helpings of this delicious dish cost us a whopping 60 pesos which is the equivalent of $3.00. No impromptu food tour in Mexico is complete without either Mexican ice cream or Gelato, which of course we enjoyed before making our way home.

The camping book had warned us about the dogs of Guanajuato, therefore Heidi put extra earplugs in hoping to drown out the Symphony that was right outside our window. We arose the next morning and again set out on foot through the tunnels and into the Old Town. The town takes on a different look in the day and we wandered the many tiny streets weaving our way through the heart of the old city, experiencing the sights, sounds and tastes. We had been told by our friend Susan, when visiting her in Austin, that she had visited Guanajuato to take Spanish lessons. I subsequently found out that my cousin Cam had also traveled to Guanajuato for the same reason. Cam mentioned that one of the attractions that we must see was to take the funicular to a viewpoint high above the city. The views were magnificent but even more interesting was the descent down through the narrow streets where we were able to see the real neighbourhoods and how the locals of Guanajuato truly live. Heidi and I loved our experience in Guanajuato and were amazed at the apparent prosperity that existed here, very different from what we had experienced when visiting the beach towns of Mexico with the kids over a decade ago.

We left Guanajuato with one more stop to make before getting to the beach. Guadalajara is one of the major cities in Mexico, which we have been told is steeped in history and culture. We decided, on the advice of some friends we met in Guanajuato, to book a room in the heart of the city with secure parking for Klara. The room was relatively cheap, $50 Canadian a night including breakfast and parking. We were a 45 minute walk to the center of town and we walked this route in both directions a few times taking in the neighborhoods along the way. Guadalajara is a vibrant city with a colorful history and we took a hop-on-hop-off bus trip to get familiar with the layout of the city and narrow down what neighborhoods to visit. Centro Historico was the main attraction for us, where one could visit the cathedrals, the bustling main square and the celebration of lights that just opened for the Christmas season. It was weird to watch them constructing the boards for what would soon be an ice rink for the locals to enjoy, I wondered how this would work, as it was 28 degrees C outside.

We visited the main market and sat down for a wonderful lunch of tacos served fresh on small plastic tables out on the sidewalk, just the way we like it. For dinner we enjoyed tamales, corn bread surrounding various fillings like pork or chicken and topped with the salsa of various spiciness. This street food of Mexico is so delicious and exceedingly cheap, our dinner costs us $40 pesos, ($3.00 Canadian). The most interesting meal we enjoyed in Guadalajara was at a taco stand nearby our hotel. We didn’t feel like venturing out to a restaurant and we spotted a stand that was surrounded by locals, always a good sign. The meal was not just tasty, but was entertaining, with the owner being a showman as well a chef. When ordering our tacos, we enquired about some fried tacos we noticed in the middle of the grill and he said they were called “sesos”. We thought, what the hell, and we added a couple to each of our orders. They were delicious. It wasn’t until we got back to the room and googled “sesos” that we found out that we had just eaten cows brain, can anyone say ‘mad cow disease’? I now have an excuse for my diminishing capacities!

Even though Guadalajara is an interesting city, after the charm of Zacatecas and Guanajuato we found it big and noisy, and we wanted out. After taking the bus tour Heidi and I agreed that exploring more of the neighborhoods wasn’t a priority, we were road weary and wanted to get to the beach and settle down for a few weeks of R&R. Before leaving Guadalajara we made a one night stop in the market town of Tonala, a place Heidi has visited with our friend Donna more than a decade ago. Thursday is market day in Tonala and vendors come from all over the area to buy the jewelry, crafts, furniture and other products they will return to their town and sell. This is the wholesale capital of the region for these products, and we were fascinated by the volume and variety that could be purchased at this market, it literally took up the whole neighbourhood. We again stayed in a hotel with secure parking, but we agreed upon checkout that our best sleeps were had in Klara.

The next stop, THE BEACH